Life-preserver.



Patented May 30, 1911.

J. E. PRESGOTT.

LIFE PRESERVEB.

THE NaRRls PE1-Eras cc.. wAsmNaraN, n. c4

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 27, 1910. 993,402.

WIW-N E55 E5 NWO-MWC. PCL/cra,

EN EE0 JACOB ELFORREST PRESCOTT, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, i911.

Application led October 27, 1910. Serial No. 589,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB Enronnnsr PRESGOTT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State ofMaine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLife-Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in life preservers.

It is designed to provide a life preserver adjustable to fit persons ofany size or iigure; also to provide a life preserver the buoyantelements of which are so distributed as to keep the head of the wearerupright and above the water; also to provide a life preserver which willbe practically indestructible; and also to provide a life pre* serversome of the buoyant elements of which may be removed without materiallyaffecting its eiiicieney.

In the dra-wings herewith accompanying and forming a part of thisapplication, Figure l represents a plan view of the life preserver inextended position, the under arm straps being shown longer in proportionthan in actual use and the waist tie straps being detached from thefront of the preserver to permit it to be extended its full length, itbeing understood that in actual practice the ends of said tie straps arenot detachable, but are' always in place in the holding loops; Fig. 2represents a fragmentary longitudinal section showing the buoyantelements and the manner of their attachment to the base; Fig. 3 is afragment of the cover used for holding the buoyant elements upon thebase, the dotted lines showing the manner of folding the cover; Fig. tis an enlarged fragmentary view showing the structure of the lifepreserver; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the life preserverin position.

Same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the gures.

In said drawings A represents a base to which the buoyant elements aresecured and consists of any suitable iieXible material. It is providedwith a head receiving opening B near the center thereof which may be eX-tended through to the front end, as seen at B. To the base at each edgeis secured a series of buoyant elements C placed side by side andsecured thereto by a flexible covering D which passes around three sidesof the buoyant elements and is stitched or otherwise secured to the basebetween each two of said elements. The covering has the ends foldedagainst the end of the buoyantelements, as seen at E, and stitched tothe base, as seen at F. rlhe outer surfaces of the buoyant elements areleft free, so that the life preserver can be folded at any point backupon itself. The series of buoyant elements, one series on each side,are spaced apart from each other a suitable distance, leaving a portionof the base H centrally positioned uncovered. 'The base is preferablysubstantially rectangular, and is by reason of the uncovered portion Hand the flexible character of the base capable of being folded sidewiseas well as endwise.

Centrally attached at each side of the preserver are arm` straps lforming loops through which the arms pass, the position of the armstraps being such. that the arms are absolutely unhampered thereby.Secured to the base, one on either` side of the head receiving opening,are tie straps J positioned so that when the life preserver is inposition the tie straps can be knotted and thus secure the two sides ofthe front of the life preserver together ata point near the neck. At theend of the back. one on each side, are tie straps K, the free ends ofwhich pass through openings or loops L formed in the ends of the frontof the life preserver, terminating within the head receiving opening andadapted to be knotted in front, as seen at N, Fig. 5, and these waisttie straps, by reason of their freely registering through the loops, canbe made to adjust the front portion of the life preserver to figures ofvarying size and form. The tie straps K should terminate in enlargedends M, so that they can not be accidentally detached but will always bein ready position for use.

The buoyant elements may be of any suitable material, and are preferablyrectangular. They may be made of cork, hollow wood, metal, or anysuitable material. The life preserver at the front is divided into twopart-s extending from the head receiving opening downwardly to the endso as to enable it to be readily put on and adjusted, the parts beingadapted to be drawn together by the tie straps, as before described, andthe lower ends being movable laterally on the straps. The buoyantelements are spaced apart slightly from the edge of the base, as seen inFig. t, so that the free edge can extend outwardly a distance sufficientto permit stitching to the base.

To operate the life preserver, place it over the head, the head passingthrough the opening B, the ends then dropping freely into the positionshown in Fig. 5, the arms being passed through the loops. Tie straps Jare then knotted and tie straps K are drawn together and knotted, thefree ends of the life preserver being moved laterally thereon to assumethe position most comfort-able to the wearer.

I claim:

l. A life preserver comprising a flexible base, two series of parallelhorizontally positioned buoyant eleinentslattached thereto, one seriesat each side of the base, the two series being parallel and beingseparated laterally from each other by a wide uncovered portion ofthebase, a head receiving opening in the base positioned between the twoseries of buoyant elements, and means for securing the life preserver tothe body.

2. A life preserver comprising a flexible base, two series of parallelhorizontally positioned buoyant elements attached thereto, one series ateach side of the base, the two series being parallel and being separatedlaterally from each other by a wide uncovered portion of the base, theouter surface of said buoyant elements being unsupported, whereby thelife preserver is capable of being folded endwise at any point, a headreceiving opening in the base positioned between the two series ofbuoyant elements, and means for securing the life preserver to the body.

3. A life preserver comprising a flexible base, two series of parallelhorizontally positioned buoyant elements secured to one side thereof,one series at each side of the base, the two series being spaced apartfrom each other a distance substantially twice the thickness of saidelements, whereby the life preserver can be folded endwise midway itsends and sidewise between the two series of buoyant elements, and a headreceiving opening in said base extending from a point at or near thecenter thereof to the end of the front of the base.

t. A life preserver comprising a flexible base, two series of parallelhorizontally positioned buoyant elements attached thereto, one series ateach side of the base, the two series being parallel and spaced apartfrom each other a considerable distance and held together by theintervening web of the base, a head receiving opening in saidintervening web extending from a point midway the ends of the base tothe end of the front portion thereof, and means for securing the lifepreserver to the body.

5. A life preserver comprising a flexible base, two series of parallelhorizontally positioned buoyant elements attached thereto, one series ateach side of the base, the two series being parallel and spaced apartfrom each other a considerable distance, a head receiving opening in thebase between the two series of buoyant. elements, said opening extendingfrom about the center of the base to the end of the front portionthereof, dividing the front of the base into two portions, and two tiestraps, one end attached to the life preserver near the 'bottom of theback, the other end adapted to have sliding engagement with the frontportion of the life preserver, the free ends terminating in saidopening.

6. A life preserver comprising a flexible base, two series of parallelhorizontally positioned buoyant elements attached thereto, one series ateach side of the base, the two series being spaced apart from eachother, a head receiving opening in the base positioned between the twoseries of buoyant elements, arm straps one on each side of the base,neck tie straps secured to the base adjacent said head receivingopening, and waist tie straps secured to the base near the botto-m ofthe back, one on each side, the free ends having sliding engagement withthe front of the base, the ends terminating in said head receivingopening.

JAC 0B ELFORREST PRESO OTT.

Vitnesses CHARLES L. FosTER, MARY C. PAGE.

Copies;I of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

